A Detective's Love Trials
by Tressimir
Summary: With the murder case over, Naoto's life in Inaba is peaceful. Her bonds with her friends are strong, and even the distance between her and her love is manageable. Unfortunately, Kazuhiko Shirogane - the family head and Naoto's grandfather - doesn't exactly approve. YuxNaoto, rated for I don't know yet but anything can happen.
1. Enter the Twins

**Author's Note: **For anyone who's actually bothered to read my stuff lately, I apologize for the deaths of God Child and Clash of Ideals. Quite honestly, I couldn't for the life of me find a way to continue them that didn't seem like utter crap to me. Hopefully this one won't suffer the same fate. Also, infinite thanks to my best friend and beta reader Reggie, for not only taking the time to read my stuff but also offer advice so you guys get the best possible product.

Naoto left the classroom building at Yasogami High, meeting up with Yukiko and Chie just outside the building. "Oh, Naoto-kun! I'm surprised you hadn't gone home yet." The Amagi heiress smiled, completely oblivious to the lovestruck gazes of several male students. It didn't hurt that more than a few of those vanished when Chie glowered menacingly at them.

"Yes, I was on cleaning duty today. I assume that you're not in any hurry to return to the inn, since you and Chie-senpai are together; would you like some company?" The young detective thought to herself how strange it was for her to make such an offer. Even a year ago, she would never have imagined doing that – she had been completely isolated, but the murders in Inaba had formed unbreakable bonds between her and her friends. Even those who weren't beside her were always connected, her confidant Rise and of course, him…

The two older girls accepted Naoto's offer and the three made their way to the gates. Once they got there, however, a strange sight greeted them. A pair of students in Yasogami uniforms, a boy and a girl who could only be twins with dark red hair approached Naoto and bowed in unison. "There you are, Mistress Naoto! We've been waiting for you!" Their speech was as synchronized as their movements, and that perfect synchronicity was drawing quite a bit of attention.

"Erm… May I ask who you are? I don't seem to recall either of you…" Naoto shifted uncomfortably, both at the sudden strange address and the fact that quite a few students were staring at them.

The boy was the first to reply. "I'm Yuzuru Wakui, and my sister is Airi. I apologize for our sudden appearance, Mistress Naoto; we'd thought you'd been informed of our coming. As of today, the two of us are to serve as your personal attendants. It's going to be a pleasure serving you, Mistress Naoto!"

Airi noted the confused look on Naoto's face and clarified, "Master Kazuhiko thought it proper that you have someone to assist you in your cases, as Yakushiji-san assists him. Our family owes a great debt to the Shirogane family, and so we've come to serve you. We're both looking forward to it, Mistress Naoto."

"A-Alright, please calm down. We'll discuss this back at my apartment. I'm sorry, Senpai, I didn't expect this." Hurrying the Wakui twins away, Naoto shot Yukiko and Chie an apologetic glance while she made her most dignified escape from the crowd of onlookers.

When the three reached Naoto's apartment, the girl detective sighed heavily. "Sometimes I don't understand Grampa's way of thinking. Why does he think I need attendants? And not just one, but two, and with combat training no less." Spotting the shocked looks on the twins' faces, she continued, "Most people won't recognize it, but the way you move indicates formal instruction in personal combat. Tell me, why does Grampa want me to have bodyguards?"

"Well, Master Kazuhiko gave no instructions to not tell you…" Yuzuru seemed a bit nervous, clamming up immediately after saying as much.

Airi decided to be more forthcoming than her brother, actually answering Naoto's question. "Master Kazuhiko is concerned about the state of your social life, Mistress Naoto. While he appreciates that you've made friends among your peers, he feels as though one of them has been getting too close to you for comfort, and assigned us to guard you in case he returns to Inaba. Please understand, milady."

It took a moment for Naoto to put everything together, but the conclusion she arrived at stunned her, causing her to blurt out her thoughts, "Grampa's worried about someone getting too close to me… Wait, does he mean Yu? But he's not the type to harm anyone, especially not his friends…" An even heavier sigh emerged from the petite detective as she slumped in her chair, suddenly drained.

"Are you alright, Mistress Naoto? Is this Yu-san someone close to you?" Yuzuru asked hesitantly, not sure how far he should probe into the situation.

Airi was too starstruck to hesitate, staring dreamily into space as she murmured, "I understand, and it's so romantic! Our Mistress Naoto, heiress to the esteemed Shirogane family, and her mysterious suitor from the shadows! And when he comes for our lady, Master Kazuhiko will appear and the two will fight a duel to determine this stranger's worthiness to court her…!"

"Sister, that's exactly the kind of thing we're to prevent from happening." The words were somewhat muted, given that Yuzuru's face was mashed into his palm. "Please forgive Airi, Mistress Naoto. When it comes to matters of romance, she tends to… fantasize. I assure you that if we are called upon to protect you, she will fight at peak efficiency." The crimson tint to his face and his exceptionally low bow spoke volumes of his embarrassment at his sister's fantasy.

_When did my life suddenly turn to chaos?_ Naoto wondered to herself. _A silly question. Given what brought Grampa's worry on, this was set in motion the moment I confessed my love to Yu. I'm going to have to have words with him later._ Her internal monologue finished, she addressed the Wakui twins with a hint of exasperation she couldn't suppress. "Please, just… don't go overboard. I'll speak with Grampa about this, and I'd prefer to have my relationship with Yu proceed without complications. He's important to me." She felt heat suffuse her face at her own words, hoping that her new bodyguards wouldn't judge her too much.


	2. Confrontation

"It's good to be back, especially after all that excitement in May. So, how's everyone been doing?" Yu couldn't help but smile at how excited everyone was that he'd come back, if only for a little while. Each one regaled him with the tales of their lives – Yosuke's new struggles as an assistant manager at Junes while still dealing with Teddie, Chie's police training under Dojima, Yukiko's near-equal status with her mother in the Amagi Inn's hierarchy, Kanji's unexpected boom in sales at Tatsumi Textiles, and Rise's upcoming comeback concert. Yet amidst all the stories, he noticed someone missing.

Rise looked a bit worried at the dark expression inching over Yu's face and asked, "What's the matter, Senpai? You look kind of angry…"

"I was just wondering, where's Naoto? I figured if she'd been busy with a case, she would've told you guys to tell me, but you haven't said anything. Did something happen?" He kept his voice calm, but it was easy to tell he was worried. Everyone understood; even though Rise in particular would change it if given the choice, the two were lovers.

As if on cue, a petite figure in blue rushed into the food court and looked over her shoulder before sitting alongside everyone. "I'm sorry I'm late, I had to get away from Yuzuru and Airi. Those two are completely unreasonable sometimes; the moment I made an offhand comment that Yu was coming to visit, they locked down my apartment. I honestly had to use an improvised tool to escape through the ventilation system… I apologize, I'm somewhat tired. But it's all worth it to see you again, Yu." Her expression brightened into a smile as she scooted a little closer to the leader of the former Investigation Team, who wrapped an arm around her as Rise made a playful gagging motion behind Naoto's back.

"It looks like things have changed a lot since my last visit. Who are Yuzuru and Airi, anyway?" He caught sight of Rise's silent acting but refrained from commenting on it; he knew that despite her desire to be with him herself, she was happy that her best friend out of everyone had found love.

"Yuzuru and Airi Wakui are my bodyguards." Naoto blushed with embarrassment and pulled the brim of her hat down over her face. "Grampa assigned them to watch over me, he's become quite overprotective lately. I wanted to speak with him as soon as possible once they arrived, but he's been in London speaking at a criminal investigation seminar and won't be back for some time."

Kanji ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "Gotta be tough to do detective work with a couple bodyguards hangin' around. Wouldn't that, y'know, catch a ton of attention?"

Naoto's blush grew even deeper, her expression obviously displeased. "They don't get involved in cases – Grampa explicitly ordered them to keep any of my male peers from getting too involved with me. Yosuke-senpai, Teddie and Kanji-kun haven't set off their alarm bells since it's obvious we're all just friends, but Grampa's become… concerned about our relationship. I understand his reasoning; as the last bearer of the Shirogane name once his years are over, he wishes to arrange my marriage himself, and you are a complete unknown to him. But that doesn't mean I'm going to just accept it." Her eyes were downcast, but there was a hint of iron in her voice that Yu hadn't heard since they'd faced off against Sho Minazuki in the red fog incident.

"This is the last place one would expect to find you, Mistress Naoto." The detective froze at the voice that carried across the food court. Everyone's heads turned as one to spot the twins who were rapidly approaching their table, both dressed in black and wearing expressions that reminded them more of masks than actual human faces. The boy who'd spoken was the first to spot Yu, and his eyes narrowed as he did so. "You, with the silver hair. State your name and your relation to our lady."

Yu slowly rose from his seat and stepped between Naoto and the new arrivals, instantly realizing who they were. His voice was as stoic as their expressions as he replied, "Yu Narukami, and I'm Naoto's boyfriend. You must be the Wakui siblings." His first impressions of them were not good, seeing as they'd attempted to imprison Naoto in her own home to keep them apart.

Airi set eyes on him and her mask slipped for a moment, her eyes glimmering with excitement. In a voice she thought only her brother could hear, she murmured, "Ooh, so that's Narukami-san. I can see why Mistress Naoto would be attracted to him; what a man…!" Yu heard her despite her low volume and fought the urge to see just how much of an impression his face was capable to making on his palm. This girl was really one of Naoto's bodyguards?

"Enough, sister." Yuzuru remained as cold as before in addressing both Airi and Yu. "Step away from Mistress Naoto, Narukami-san. We are under orders from Master Kazuhiko to keep you from interfering with the succession of the Shirogane line." To everyone's surprise, he braced himself in what was obviously a combat-ready stance.

What surprised no one is that Kanji rose to meet the challenge. "This's got nothin' to do with you, ya brat! And if you're dumb enough to fight Senpai, that's one thing, but I ain't gonna just sit here and watch! You fight Senpai and you're fightin' me too, got it?!"

"Please calm down, Kanji-kun!" Naoto admonished quietly, getting to her feet and standing behind Yu. "Yuzuru, Airi, don't you think you've been taking your orders to the extreme? I understand Grampa's feelings on my relationship with Yu, but you seem to be carrying them out to an extent I'm certain he neither planned for nor desires."

Yuzuru only shook his head before saying, "Our highest priority is the fulfillment of Master Kazuhiko's orders. Mistress Naoto, please return with us. We cannot allow this Narukami to remain in your presence." The way he spat Yu's surname with utter disdain set the entire group's tempers flaring; even Naoto seemed to be having trouble keeping her cool.

"And if I decide not to let you strong-arm Naoto into doing what you want?" Yu's response was voiced in a tone that his friends had heard only twice before – once in Namatame's hospital room as he convinced them not to jump to conclusions and throw the supposed killer into the television, and once when they'd finally cornered Adachi and Yu had called him out on his twisted logic. It was filled with anger, but less the internal flames everyone else felt and more like a blizzard that could freeze one to the bone. He practically towered over the short Wakui twins, his eyes focused like targeting sights on Yuzuru.

Airi stepped forward, seeming slightly disgruntled at being shut out of the conversation since her brother had told her off, and clenched one fist casually. "Then we'll have no choice but to incapacitate you and anyone else who poses a threat to Mistress Naoto. It's our role as bodyguards to act in our lady's best interest, even if she herself doesn't realize what that is." She flicked a curl of red hair from her face, and somehow Yu felt that while she was certainly the sillier of the two, she stood more of a fighting chance than Yuzuru.

Before the actual fight could break out, however, Naoto stepped between the Investigation Team and the Wakui twins and snapped, "Stop this foolishness! This is a public area, and a disturbance would draw Junes security at least and the police at worst. Yuzuru, Airi, you're here to serve the interests of the Shirogane family, are you not?" The twins nodded sullenly, seeing where this lecture was going. "Then you have even less right to start a brawl here! My friends at least have the excuse of defending one of their own, but you are both in the service of a detective family! Imagine what repercussions your actions could have for the Shirogane name!" Breathing harder from anger, Naoto shook her head. "This cannot go on. I will return home for now, but steps will be taken to ensure that an incident like this is not repeated. Yuzuru, Airi, come."

Yu watched his lover walk off with her displeased guardians in tow, his own anger slow to calm. "What's Shirogane-sama thinking, sending Naoto such bloodthirsty bodyguards? And they're younger than she is! From what I'd heard of him, I had nothing but respect for Naoto's grandfather, but this is too much."

"Yu-kun, please calm down. It's unlike you to get so riled up about anything…" Yukiko moved to take his arm gently, but Rise stopped her.

"Sorry, Yukiko-senpai, but I kind of understand how he feels. Shirogane-san doesn't know him and has no valid reason to instantly demand that he and Naoto cut ties, and then it nearly came down to violence. I agree with him that this is way too far for an overprotective grandpa; at this rate, someone's going to get hurt somehow, and all because Shirogane-san cares about pride more than Naoto-kun's feelings." The idol's voice was soft and more emotional than any of them had heard her since the Minazuki incident, betraying just how much the scene affected her. She was in love with Yu and Naoto was her best friend, so to see them hurt cut deep for her.

"Mistress Naoto, you're overreacting. Please calm down." Yuzuru pleaded as the Detective Prince paced back and forth restlessly.

"I will not calm down!" Her glare swept over both the twins, who for all their battle-ready nature flinched from the sheer uncharacteristic rage in her eyes. "That display was completely uncalled for! You forced me into a choice with no right answer; I was required to leave my friends behind, and if I had chosen not to violence would have broken out! I understand that the two of you are trained bodyguards, but your eagerness to fight is far beyond acceptable! I will speak to Grampa about this and find out just why he thought it a good idea to assign me such bloodthirsty guardians, and until I've confirmed his reasoning the two of you are not to engage in any contact with my friends. Understood?"

Both the twins were silent for a few moments before Airi finally answered, "We will make no effort to engage others and focus specifically on protecting you, Mistress Naoto. We will do the minimum required by our orders." Her tone indicated that she was not at all pleased about having their activity restricted, and if Yuzuru's expression was any indication he felt the same way.

Naoto sighed and turned her back on them, returning to her room to find something, anything to take her mind off the disaster that had been so narrowly averted. Once she was gone, Airi murmured, "Brother, this is a very unfavorable turn of events. Master Kazuhiko ordered us to protect Mistress Naoto, but she seems adamant that she won't be protected. All our actions reflect back upon the Shirogane family, so if we exercise our own judgment we may inadvertently ruin Master Kazuhiko's goal of finding a proper husband for our lady. How can we resolve this situation without jeopardizing the very purpose we were sent here for?"

"It is a conundrum, Sister. We were ordered to use any means necessary to keep Mistress Naoto's admirers at arm's length, and in the two months since we've arrived there have been no complications. But this Narukami is far removed from the blustering cowards native to Inaba – they seldom need us to become involved, as intimidated as they are by our lady and her friends. Tatsumi in particular has been a significant aid in fending off the scum. But Narukami has a prior relationship with Mistress Naoto and Tatsumi as his ardent supporter, and furthermore he seems to lack any fear of retaliation. What life must he have led to harden him to such a point where even Mistress Naoto's iron will seems to pale in comparison? He is a juggernaut of resolve, and he must be dealt with somehow if Mistress Naoto is to properly come into her role as successor of the Shirogane line."

"But how will we deal with him if he is unafraid to confront us? Our ties to the Shirogane family aside, I'm sure you gauged his strength as I did. Though he lacks our formal training, his physical strength is beyond that which we possess; if we were to engage him in hand-to-hand combat, we would likely be defeated by his strength and resolve." Airi being serious was unusual enough, but seeing her worried set Yuzuru on edge; as much as he loathed to admit it, his twin sister was his superior in their family's martial arts.

"A direct confrontation should be avoided if possible. If we can sabotage Mistress Naoto's relationship with Narukami, our work will be done for us – such intense affection can breed a strong will like Narukami's, but the closer one is to the heart the easier jealousy will rear its head. And if we fail to separate them through clandestine means, we will be forced to use our more desperate option, though a scapegoat will be needed to avoid arousing Master Kazuhiko's suspicion. After all, the Wakui method of combat was not developed for personal defense…"


	3. Truth and Deceit

"Dammit!" Yu seethed as he paced back and forth across his room in the Dojima household. It had been three days since he'd met the Wakui twins, the pair who claimed to be Naoto's bodyguards but appeared to use that more as an excuse to fight. There were very few things that could make him angry, and even fewer that could keep him in such a state for long, but the twins' predilection toward violence and the iron-fisted hold they attempted to keep on Naoto combined to rouse his anger to an uncharacteristic degree. "Yuzuru and Airi Wakui… I don't care if Shirogane-san is the one who sent them, they're twisting their orders. Naoto always described her grandfather as being stern but kind, with a great respect for justice. There's no way he would've sent those two to Naoto's side if he knew that they'd resort to violence at the first opportunity!"

His furious monologue was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone, which he quickly focused on to help calm down. Seeing that the caller ID was familiar, he picked up the call and answered in his most even voice, "Hey, Yumi. What's up?"

"Yu-kun, it's been a while. Sorry I couldn't come see you earlier; I've been pretty busy, but as soon as I had a break I decided I'd call. Are you busy?" Yu's former fellow in the drama club sounded as she always had, if a little more mature. She had mentioned working at Junes and joining the student council before he'd left Inaba the first time.

Inwardly thanking whatever god may be watching him, he replied, "No, I actually don't have any to do. Did you want to hang out somewhere?"

Yumi's tone turned quite a bit happier at his response. "Wow, it's like you read my mind. I heard from Kou-kun that you like Aiya; want to meet me there?" She sounded delighted at the opportunity, and Yu couldn't blame her. While she wasn't a member of the Investigation Team, the two of them had formed a close bond, and before he'd gotten to know Naoto he'd seriously considered dating her.

"Sounds great. I'm on my way, see you there." As they both ended the call simultaneously, Yu ran a hand through his hair tiredly. "It'll be nice to see Yumi again after all this time," he thought aloud, grateful for the distraction. Making his way downstairs and outside, he swung himself onto his motorcycle and headed for Aiya.

Yumi's house was closer to the shopping district than the Dojimas', so Yu wasn't surprised to see her running up to the Chinese diner just as he pulled up outside. She had changed her style since he'd last seen her - a deep blue jacket over a white top, complimented by a black skirt and stockings that reminded him of Yukiko. Not that he would mention that. Coming to a stop in front of his parked motorcycle, Yumi looked him over and greeted him breathlessly. "H-Hey, Yu-kun. You haven't changed a bit since I last saw you."

He dismounted his bike and smiled, cheered up somewhat by seeing his former schoolmate. "You certainly have, though. I like your outfit, it looks good on you." A chuckle was hidden under his breath as Yumi blushed at the compliment, the two of them entering the diner and ordering their respective dishes.

The menu at Aiya had only one change from how Yu remembered it, and the result of that change was the cause of Yumi's shocked stare at the quintuple-sized beef bowl that was set in front of him. "Wh-Whoa! Do you really need to eat all that? That's enough to feed three people!"

"I've done it before. This thing used to only be available on rainy days, so whenever I was feeling nervous or depressed in the rain I'd always come and test myself against it. It took nearly the entire year I was here before I'd trained enough to finish the entire bowl." Starting on the portal to the Meat Dimension before him, he paused after a few bites to ask, "You mentioned Kou when we were on the phone. I didn't know you two knew each other."

Yumi took a break from her green pepper steak as he asked the question, hurriedly swallowing the bite already in her mouth. "We met after the Cultural Festival last year. You know how his homeroom was doing a play? Since I was still into drama then, I decided to watch it. The production itself was pretty awful, but Kou-kun did a pretty good job for a novice. We got to talking about it and found out that we got along well." A mischievous grin touched her lips as she added, "Though you did way better than he could've in that cross-dressing pageant, _Yu-chan._"

"Please never mention that again…" Yu didn't have many fond memories of that Cultural Festival. First there was the utter disaster that was the group date cafe, though at least he'd been quick enough to avoid being stuck in a girls' seat, and then being forced into a dress for that pageant. Looking back, he'd been lucky that he was paired with Yukiko; she'd seemed a little sorry for him as she'd done his preparations, unlike Chie and Rise who'd been merciless in teasing Yosuke and Kanji. About the one thing about the festival itself was seeing Naoto trying so hard in the real pageant - the first time he'd really noticed how attractive she was.

Giggling happily, Yumi prodded him with her chopsticks playfully and called, "Earth to Yu-kun! You keep staring at that beef bowl for too long and it's going to get cold." She watched with amusement as Yu began shoving beef into his mouth like a man possessed. "Teasing aside, it's really nice to see you again. I've been hanging out with Kou-kun and Ai-chan, and they're pretty cool people when you get to know them, but you're one of a kind. I'm really sorry about what happened with Shirogane-san too."

Her last words cut to the core of his mind, but something seemed wrong about them. "How do you know about that?"

"I heard from one of my classmates that Shirogane-san walked off with one of her underclassmen right in front of you. That was a really bitchy thing to do, but it's her loss; I know you well enough to know she'll never find anyone better." Yumi finished up her steak and set her chopsticks down before turning her concerned gaze on Yu.

_She heard Naoto left me for an underclassman? But the only guy I've seen her with outside of the Investigation Team is… Oh hell no._ The pieces started falling into place, but as Yumi continued watching him sympathetically, he just shook his head. "That rumor's not true. There haven't been problems between Naoto and I, so don't worry about me."

"O-Oh… Oh, good. I thought that sounded out of character for her, so I was confused at first. What is it with people at our school spreading rumors anyway? There was all that crap about the Midnight Channel last year too!" Yumi quickly masked her disappointment with a change of topic. A small, selfish part of her had been hoping that Yu and Naoto had broken up; at least then she'd have another chance to catch his eye.

The last bits of beef left the Mega Bowl, leaving everyone in Aiya but the chef stunned that a lone person had actually finished that thing. Yu pulled out his wallet and left significantly more than the meal actually cost, answering the chef's look of surprise with a grin and a casual, "I really missed these beef bowls when I left." He and Yumi left the restaurant, each halfway lost in thought before Yu checked his watch. "Shoot, it's already this late? Thanks for inviting me out, Yumi, but I didn't realize how late it was. I've got to make dinner before Nanako gets home from her friend's. Sorry for leaving so soon."

Yumi just smiled, her disappointment unable to stand firm when she was reminded that her friend cared for everyone, not just his beloved Naoto. "No, it's fine. I need to get back home myself, and it was a lot of fun talking with you again. If I hear anyone spreading that rumor, I'll tell them off for you and Shirogane-san. Hope to see you again soon!" The two parted ways, Yumi glowing with happiness at seeing Yu again while he himself brooded over the source of the rumor.

Naoto stood dumbstruck, her mind trying once more to comprehend what she'd just been told. Kanji had sent her a text asking her to meet him by the river, which was already far out of the norm, but the news he'd passed on made her feel as though something very large and heavy had struck her in the chest. "I-I'm sorry, Kanji-kun, but please repeat that. I'm unsure if I heard you properly."

The rough young man rubbed the back of his head nervously; it was obvious that even after all this time, he hadn't completely gotten over his anxiety around her. "I-I mean, I dunno if I just saw it wrong or what, but Senpai was with that chick on the Student Council - Yumi-senpai, I think - at Aiya. They were pretty close together too, and I wasn't gonna just bust in and start shit, but I'd heard some first-years talkin' about Senpai steppin' out on you, so I thought I'd see if you knew anything."

"This is the first I've heard of such things, and I've never seen Yu with another girl in any situation that could be considered romantic. Besides, I have no issue with him spending time with another of his friends. There's no logic in being jealous over such a trivial matter." Naoto kept her voice calm, but despite her words something nagged at her from the back of her mind. Yu had met Yumi Ozawa long before Naoto had made his acquaintance, and thanks to her senpai's popularity there had been several groundless rumors that the two of them were a couple. The rumors hadn't been widespread or serious enough to warrant a mention on the Midnight Channel, but admittedly she'd been exceptionally pleased when he'd chosen her over Yumi. But the last time she'd seen Yu, the Wakui twins had interfered and nearly caused an all-out brawl. Could he have finally given up after those in her service had done such a thing?

Kanji shifted uncomfortably at the intense expression Naoto wore as she thought, finally working up the courage to ask, "Uh, Naoto? You alright?"

The detective's next words were spoken slowly, more to keep a calm facade than anything. "Kanji-kun, you mentioned you heard the rumors of Yu's infidelity from first-year students. Would you happen to know who they were?"

"I wasn't really payin' too much attention. I remember somethin' weird about 'em, though. They both had green eyes, and I thought that was kinda off around here. Figured I was overthinkin' it." Kanji absently kicked at a pebble on the ground, sending it flying into the river.

Naoto closed her eyes, the last piece falling into place. "I'm positive those rumors are false; if the ones spreading it had such distinctive green eyes, there's only one possibility. Thank you for the information, Kanji-kun." She was already walking away when she addressed Kanji, so focused on planning her next move that she failed to notice him watching her with a confused expression.

"...The hell was that all about? Man, I still don't get Naoto sometimes."


	4. Three-Way Resolve

"We have no idea what you're talking about, Mistress Naoto." Yuzuru and Airi spoke in perfect unison, unfazed by the death glare their charge was directing at them.

Naoto kept her arms firmly at her sides, trying to maintain a sense of decorum despite her anger. "You spread a baseless, slanderous rumor that Yu was being unfaithful to me in an attempt to turn me against him and call off our relationship. I know my Grampa very well, and while I understand that he wishes to have a hand in my future, I am just as certain that he did _not_ instruct you to sabotage my bond with Yu. So I hope the two of you have a very good explanation for your actions." Her heart pounded with rage at the thought that employees of her grandfather would sink to such actions, while their blank expressions did nothing to ease that anger.

Yuzuru met her eyes stoically, questioning, "Out of curiosity, Mistress Naoto, what makes you think we are responsible for such a thing? We may be your bodyguards, but we are also students at Yasogami High ourselves. Do you truly believe we have the free time to spread rumors with the workload our classes give us?"

"Yes, in fact. A reliable source identified the two of you as the ones responsible for originating this slander - their description of you made it perfectly clear." The detective's blue-gray eyes swept over the twins, their gazes returning in green.

This time it was Airi who responded, her voice completely innocent. "How are you certain he was describing us? We don't appear very different from the average first-year student; we even recolored our hair so we would draw less attention to you, Mistress Naoto, as we are well aware that you don't enjoy being the center of attention." She pulled a stray curl back behind her ear, her formerly deep red tresses having been dyed an ordinary black along with her brother's.

"You weren't identified by your hair. You are the only students at Yasogami High - indeed, the only residents of Inaba - that I have seen with green eyes. Now I have the task of dispelling this rumor you've put into circulation and saving Yu's reputation." Just as Naoto was about to turn and leave, Yuzuru spoke once more, his words piercing right to her heart.

"If such a rumor is so easily believed, what does that say of popular opinion regarding Narukami-san? A man with such a reputation that accusations as serious as infidelity are accepted without question is a poor match for the heiress of the illustrious Shirogane family. Master Kazuhiko is correct to desire that the two of you are kept apart - prolonged association with a common thug such as he will only damage your prestige, Mistress Naoto."

Naoto froze. The logic she'd just been subjected to was so wrong on so many levels that her detective's mind had difficulty processing it. She slowly turned to face the twins again, her entire being subsumed in what could only be called a tranquil fury. "That is enough." She stated in a quiet voice that seemed to chill the very air as she spoke. "You do not know Yu. You have never met him, save when you attempted to provoke a physical confrontation. You have no call to speak of him in such a manner!" Her normal composure quickly broke down as her volume rose in equal measure. "You have grossly overstepped your boundaries! I am fortunate that Grampa has returned to the estate by this time, as I will be paying him a visit with a demand that the two of you be released from any service to the Shirogane family!" She wheeled around and stormed off to her room, intending to plan her visit to the Shirogane estate.

"Brother, you may have gone too far. If not for Mistress Naoto's rigid discipline, the two of us may have ended this conversation staring down the barrel of her revolver. And if we are released from the Shirogane family's service, the Wakui line itself may die out. Our livelihood is built on mercenary work such as this; if word gets out that our contract is terminated with one we owe a debt to, our chances of receiving any further contracts will drop dramatically. It will be the end." Airi spoke softly, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

Yuzuru shook his head. "This may yet work to our advantage. Once Mistress Naoto has finalized her plans to depart, we will act - and this time, there will be no one to reveal our plan. This turn of events may, in fact, prove to be the key to achieving our objective without the use of our most desperate option. All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." The barest hint of a smile touched the impassive young man's lips, incontrovertible proof that he was pleased.

It had been a tiring week for Yu and the rest of the Investigation Team save Naoto. In addition to the rumor that the young detective had been cheating on him, an even more prevalent one accused him of doing the same. The glares he received from passers-by stung, as even though Kanji had informed him of the conversation he'd had with Naoto, the majority of Inaba didn't know - and the rumor mill was in fine form.

"Yu-kun, please cheer up. This rumor will pass like every other one, and we're all doing our best to make sure it goes quicker. So, please…" Yukiko watched her friend stare down at the Junes food court table, trying to ease his pain. She'd never been in a romantic relationship, so she couldn't imagine how being the subject of such gossip had to hurt, but she knew it couldn't be easy to be accused of betraying the one person you love most. Add to the fact that Naoto was no longer responding to any of Yu's texts or calls, and she knew he was suffering greatly.

Before the team leader could reply, Yosuke approached and muttered, "C'mon, partner, you're stronger than this. Rumors aren't everything, and there's gotta be a good reason Naoto-kun's not answering her phone." Taking a good look at Yu, he continued to comment in a worried tone. "Damn, I've never seen you so down…"

"Well, duh. I mean, think of how you'd feel if half the town was saying you cheated on me. And we've only been dating for a couple months - it's been close to a year since Yu-kun and Naoto-kun got together. I can't even imagine how he must feel." Chie seemed to suddenly appear beside Yosuke, startling him for a moment.

Less than a second later, Teddie did the same thing. "Sensei and Nao-chan were so close, but it's like she's pushing him away. I can kind of understand how Sensei feels; before I came over to this side, I was always worried that you'd all leave me behind and throw me away. I know you didn't, but I bet that's how Sensei feels about Nao-chan now. He's still in love with her, so he's not getting mad, but it still hurts him."

"Teddie, don't do that! Seriously, how do you manage to just show up out of nowhere like that?! And don't give me that 'ninja' crap you said last time!" Yosuke glanced back to Yu, who seemed not to have even noticed him shouting.

"Senpai… Dammit! Wish I could find whoever's spreadin' these damn rumors around and beat an apology outta 'em! Senpai's always been so strong, but half the town's got him on their shit list 'cause of this!" Kanji's approach was heralded by his loud voice and the sound of his fist hammering into a nearby table. None of them had ever seen their fearless leader so vulnerable, and it both saddened and scared them to see that it was possible.

An awkward silence persisted before the ringing of a cell phone cut through the air. Yu instantly reached for his own phone, only to realize it was Yukiko's when the raven-haired girl withdrew it from her pocket. "Oh, it's Rise-chan. Give me just a moment." She accepted the call, and immediately a blast of tearful, half-coherent words could be heard. Yukiko quickly withdrew to save her friends the auditory assault and began trying to calm the idol down. "What's the matter? Did something happen? Naoto-kun - I'm sorry, Naoto-kun said _what_? Why wouldn't she tell the rest of us? And Yu-kun - please don't cry, Rise-chan! I'll pass on the message, so you should get some rest. I'll call you back later to make sure you're feeling better." Flipping her phone closed, the Amagi Inn's manager-to-be turned to her friends with a grave expression.

"Yukiko… What happened?" Chie asked hesitantly. They'd all heard Naoto's name mentioned, and judging by Rise's breakdown and Yukiko's expression it wasn't good news.

"A-Apparently Naoto-kun called Rise-chan after her rehearsal and wanted her to pass on a message to Yu-kun. She's returned to the Shirogane estate… to prepare for her engagement."

All sound seemed to instantly cease, the entire team stunned into silence. Then Yu moved, gripping the edge of the table unconsciously with enough force to splinter the wood. "She stopped contacting me, she left Inaba without saying anything… Dammit, I can't believe this is happening! Did she think I was going to start my own personal war or something? _Why didn't she tell me_?!" Lurching to his feet, he waved away his friends' concerned gestures and muttered, "I have to go… Have to figure out what I'm going to do now."

The others had no choice but to watch him leave, his movements slow and heavy, as if his entire body had been turned to lead. "How could Naoto-kun do this…?" Chie asked, beginning to tear up.

"This isn't like her at all. She loved Yu, it was obvious, so why…?"

A loud smash on the table interrupted Yosuke's musing, causing everyone to turn toward Kanji. "We ain't seein' the whole picture here." For the most hotheaded member of the team, he was surprisingly calm. "This ain't like Naoto at all. I'm not too smart, but I bet I know her best outta all of us but Rise and Senpai, and this ain't somethin' she'd do. Someone's screwin' with Senpai and probably Naoto, and we gotta do somethin' about it! Remember what they kept sayin' while we were chasin' after Adachi and that Izanami? They always talked about 'reachin' out to the truth.' And now it's our turn to do it so we can stop this shit from goin' even wilder!" He pounded the table again for emphasis, veins standing out in his neck and temples.

There was another silence before Yukiko spoke up, declaring, "Kanji-kun's right! Someone's trying to interfere in Yu-kun's and Naoto-kun's relationship, and we can't let that happen! They're both our friends and they've always been there for us; now it's our turn!"

"Yeah, you're right! It's no murder case, but this is just as important! We've all gotten too close to each other to let this tear us apart! Whoever's behind this is getting a hundred kicks to the face - if they're lucky!"

Yosuke nodded strongly. "You said it, Chie! I'm not letting anyone get away with hurting my partner like this. It's time for us to take the lead!"

"Rrrrrawr! This time I'll be the one to help Sensei out! Let's find whoever's responsible for this and stuff them with the Junes salad bar!" Everyone looked at Teddie with shock at his unconventional punishment, at least until Yukiko burst into one of her trademark laughing fits.

Yosuke bopped Teddie right between his bear ears, snapping, "Don't be dissing your employer like that! ...not that I can argue with you, but still!"

"So we're going to help get Yu-kun and Naoto-kun back together, right? Let's do it!" The Investigation Team had fought deluded kidnappers, nihilistic serial murderers and two divine beings; their bonds were too strong to be broken by something like this.

And there would be hell to pay when they found their culprit.

"Your talent for mimicry is astounding, Sister. If I closed my eyes, I would have thought Mistress Naoto herself had been speaking." Yuzuru's lips were curved into that faint smile as Airi put down the phone, massaging her throat.

One cough later, Airi complained, "Ugh, I need to rest for a bit before I do that again. Mistress Naoto's voice is very distinctive, and mimicking her perfectly is an incredible strain."

Yuzuru passed his twin a warm drink he'd prepared for just such strain, commenting, "Further mimicry may be unnecessary. Your impersonation of Mistress Naoto was flawless, and Kujikawa-san will be convinced she was speaking to our lady herself - after all, we did use her cell phone. Her rage has been most fortuitous, that she would forget such a crucial item for our plan in her haste to leave and have us dismissed. Once she has passed the message on to Narukami, the so-called 'unbreakable bond' between him and Mistress Naoto will be severed, and she will be free to fulfill her role as the successor to the Shirogane name. A perfect victory for Master Kazuhiko, all without us having to dirty our hands."

"You're quite the tactician, Brother. This is a level of mental acumen I would expect from Master Kazuhiko himself. We must simply wait until Mistress Naoto has been married, and then our debt to the Shirogane will be fulfilled." Airi slowly sipped her drink, letting the warmth soothe her sore throat as she sat in one of the chairs scattered around Naoto's apartment, a satisfied smile on her lips.


	5. Finality

Naoto sat in one of the chairs in the Shirogane estate's well-appointed meeting room, her grandfather beside her as both kept their eyes trained on the young man sitting across the table. Despite the twin gazes probing him relentlessly, the newcomer remained as unreadable as a centuries-old inscription in weathered stone.

Finally, Kazuhiko broke the silence. "You are aware of why I issued this invitation to you, correct, Kirigiri-san?"

"Of course." The stone-faced man replied, showing remarkable self-control for someone only four years Naoto's senior. "You want to propose that Naoto-san and I marry, securing a blood tie between the Shirogane and Kirigiri dynasties and repairing the relations my parents foolishly destroyed." His dark eyes met Naoto's and, just for a moment, the young detective thought she saw a hint of a smirk touch his lips.

The elder Shirogane nodded, more to himself than the interviewee, before speaking again. "And your response? As the current head of the Kirigiri family, your consent is all that is required to formalize your and Naoto's betrothal."

This time his smile was more obvious as he bowed his head respectfully and answered, "I would be honored to marry the successor to the Shirogane name. You have my thanks and will for the rest of time, Shirogane-sama."

Kazuhiko's expression was one of satisfaction as he rose from his seat, clasping his hands behind his back and stretching his spine lightly. "There is no hurry to finalize the procedures; in fact, it may be prudent to wait for some time, so as not to give the impression of desperation on either of our parts. The two of you should take some time to reacquaint yourselves, so I shall take my leave." The old man left the room, leaving his granddaughter and her new fiance alone.

"I know what you're thinking, Naoto-san, and I apologize for the situation you've found yourself in. Your grandfather has misplaced his priorities in this instance." Running a hand through his blue-black hair, the young Kirigiri patriarch sighed heavily.

Naoto knew she shouldn't be particularly shocked; the Kirigiri family had once been close to the Shirogane, breaking ties after her parents' deaths, and she had known him as a child. "Ayumu-san, I am aware that we have both been thrust into this without fully consenting to it. I have my duties as the last member of the Shirogane bloodline once my Grampa passes away, and you are bound by your desire to repair the bond between our families. We are both required to sacrifice our own happiness for this…"

Ayumu placed a hand on Naoto's shoulder, a sorrowful expression on his face. "Naoto-san, please tell me about your lover Narukami-san. I know you likely don't wish to think of him now, but the more I know the easier it'll be for me to work around this unfortunate situation."

"Why would you want to change this? You chose to accept Grampa's offer of your own will; what reason could you have for nullifying it now?" The girl detective looked up at her old acquaintance, noticing how intently he was watching her.

A soft, sardonic chuckle emerged from Ayumu's lips as he withdrew. "Shirogane-sama is a classic man of high status; if I were to simply refuse, word would get around about my being rude to such a man. No, I accepted with the full intention of sabotaging the proceedings so that we can both be free to follow our own paths. So please, Naoto-san, tell me everything that might help."

The Investigation Team, minus Yu, Rise and Naoto, stared down the Wakui twins with unrestrained hostility. It had taken some time, but eventually Yukiko had been able to convince the bodyguards to meet with them, using her stellar reputation to her advantage.

"Well, now that we're all here…" Yosuke began, his voice hard. "Yuzuru-san and Airi-san, right? Let's just cut right to the chase; what did you do to get Naoto-kun to leave? And don't try and tell us you didn't do anything, we all know her too well to believe she'd just give up on Yu like that."

When the twins remained silent, Kanji slammed a fist on the Junes table hard enough to put a small crack in it. "Cough it up! What'd you little punks do?!"

Yukiko and Chie pulled him back before he could get too worked up, the junior innkeeper picking up the interrogation with, "You've caused our friends so much pain. We can't forgive you, but we want to know exactly how angry we need to be." Her voice was low and menacing, sending a chill down the spines of everyone present.

"...Brother, there's no longer any point in hiding it. Mistress Naoto is already gone; our objective has been fulfilled." Airi broke the silence that had fallen, speaking softly but without fear or hesitation.

Yuzuru nodded in response before explaining, "We had attempted multiple times to interfere with Mistress Naoto's relationship with that Narukami, though the use of rumors that each had abandoned the other. Narukami quickly discovered the deception, and shortly afterward Tatsumi revealed the truth to Mistress Naoto. She was… displeased. Enough so to return to the Shirogane estate with the intent of demanding Master Kazuhiko dismiss us from his service. Fortunately for us, she left her cell phone behind in her blind anger, and my sister put her talents to use, passing on the false message to Kujikawa."

"Talents? What do you mean?" Chie questioned. "How did you convince Rise-chan that Naoto-kun was talking?"

Airi took a deep breath before speaking again, this time in a perfect mimicry of Naoto's voice. "Perhaps this will make my methods more clear, Chie-senpai?" The shocked looks on the team's faces brought a smug smile to her own.

Teddie glared daggers at the twins, his sapphire eyes blazing. "You copied Nao-chan's voice… You tricked Rise-chan!"

"Indeed. My sister placed a call from Mistress Naoto's forgotten cell phone and spoke in her voice; Kujikawa was none the wiser. And seeing as Narukami is conspicuously absent, our ploy was a perfect success." Yuzuru stood, pulling Airi to her feet, and bowed. "We will take our leave now. Goodbye."

Their retreat from the food court was interrupted by a pair of figures who blocked their path - a familiar young woman and a towering man some few years her senior. "Well, well, if it isn't Yuzuru-kun and Airi-chan. So the truth comes out." Naoto and the rest of the team were all startled at what came next, as the formerly-unshakable Wakui twins blanched at the sight of the tall man giving them a predatory grin.

The twins were silent for a few moments, trying desperately to think of a response. Eventually Yuzuru spoke, trying to keep his voice steady as he asked, "M-Master Ayumu? I had thought you and Mistress Naoto were at the estate…" His voice died in his throat as Ayumu glared down at him.

"So, you took advantage of my anger to impersonate me and cause my friends distress. Even beyond the malicious rumormongering, that is a grave offense." Naoto's gaze was even more withering than Ayumu's, the intensity causing the twins to take a step back instinctively.

"I'll pass the information on to Shirogane-sama later - perhaps with two familiar witnesses he'll be more willing to listen. And you must be Naoto-san's friends." Ayumu made his way to the table where the others sat, his smile much friendlier now. "I'm Ayumu Kirigiri. I knew Naoto-san when the two of us were children, and Shirogane-sama chose me to be her fiance. Don't give me that look, I have no intention of going through with it; she belongs with Narukami-san, and I have a lady of my own. "

Kanji was the first to respond, muttering, "Woah… Dude's huge." Despite being the tallest of the group, even he had to look up to meet Ayumu's eyes.

"So you're not trying to take Naoto-kun for yourself? Thank you… Yu will be very happy to hear it." Yukiko breathed a sigh of relief, causing a smile to tug at the corners of Ayumu's mouth.

Naoto wandered over at that point, having finished severely chastising the Wakui twins. "I'm sorry, everyone, but could I possibly introduce you all another time? There's still something very important we have to do." She gave Ayumu a meaningful glance, to which he nodded. "I'll see all of you once this is finished." She began leading the way, her childhood acquaintance following along.

Ryotaro Dojima would've been surprised enough at a surprise visitor to his house, but the identities of the two at his door were even more shocking; Naoto Shirogane, the detective who had broken his nephew's heart, and-

"Kirigiri-san? Are you the same Kirigiri-san from the prefectural office?"

Ayumu bowed formally, smiling slightly as he replied, "Dojima-san, it's a pleasure to meet you in person. We've spoken over the phone a few times, but this is the first time we've met face to face."

Before the two men could get to talking about police work, Naoto interjected, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but is Yu here? He hasn't responded to my texts, so I had to come in person. It's very important."

Dojima fixed the girl detective with a stern look before Ayumu added, "I'm involved in this as well. Please let us speak with Narukami-san, as a favor to me if nothing else." The earnest look in his eyes made it clear the younger man was very serious.

"...I'll let him know you're here. Come in." Dojima left to alert Yu of his guests' arrival while Naoto and Ayumu stepped inside. The young lady's anxiety showed, but her ally simply smiled down at her reassuringly and her nerves calmed a bit.

Yu made his way downstairs, looking surprised to see Naoto before his face fell at the sight of Ayumu. "Naoto… Did you have to bring him here?"

"Narukami-san, I presume. I'm Ayumu Kirigiri; it's a pleasure." The head of the Kirigiri family interposed himself between the lovers, "I'll start off by making it clear that yes, Shirogane-sama wants Naoto-san and I to be married, and no, I don't intend on going through with it. I have a lady in my life as well, after all. So, just to make things perfectly clear between the three of us, have the two of you exchanged anything that would interfere with the marriage procedures?"

Both teenagers were confused at first, but Naoto quickly picked up on the hint. "We shared a promise on Christmas Eve last year, that the two of us would be together forever. We have proof of this… in more ways than one." She blushed deeply, recalling what exactly they'd done that night, and Yu displayed a similar reaction.

Ayumu looked thoughtful for a few moments, then shook his head and grinned. "Well, that's going to be a problem. It looks as though Narukami-san's already stolen your first night from me, and I can't condone a man using a woman and leaving her behind."

"Do you mean what I think you mean, Kirigiri-san?" Yu asked warily, Ayumu's nonchalance reminding him a bit too much of Adachi.

"Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I expect gentlemanly behavior when dealing with a lady like Naoto-san." The young patriarch grinned widely, saluting Yu and Naoto with an air of obvious cheer.

The detective bowed formally, nearly losing her hat in the process. "Ayumu-san… Thank you!"

"I suppose I'm going to have a chat with your grandfather, Naoto." Yu quipped, relief and happiness spread across his face. The two shared an embrace and a kiss, barely noticing Ayumu slip out while they were so occupied.

"Is this true, Naoto?" Kazuhiko Shirogane's sharp gaze moved between his granddaughter and her lover, both of whom seemed suitably nervous.

Nodding slowly, the girl replied, "It is. I apologize for not confessing sooner, but I didn't wish to place undue stress on you when you're always busy with cases."

The elder detective sighed, rubbing his temples. "Narukami-san, I hope I do not need to spell out what this means for you."

"I'm perfectly aware. I will take responsibility for Naoto, marry her and spend the rest of my days making her the happiest woman alive. She is the love of my life, after all." He grasped his lover's hand and smiled down at her, seeing the gesture returned in kind.

"Honestly, this whole debacle could have been avoided if you'd simply told me, Naoto. I appreciate the sentiment, but I wish I had known the facts so as not to send the Wakui twins to watch over you; Kirigiri-san has informed me of what the two of you overheard, and as a result I have refused to ever deal with that family again." A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he added, "I suppose I hadn't realized the depths of the love the two of you hold for one another. While I cannot say the heir to the Narukami family was a choice I considered, I now realize that Naoto would be unhappy should I have forced her to spend her life with any but you. Please accept this doddering old man's apology, in the form of my blessing."

Naoto's face practically lit up at his words, her voice higher than even her natural tone as she squeaked, "Thank you, Grampa! I know that with Yu by my side, I can not only live up to my role as head of the Shirogane family, but exceed the expectations placed upon me!"

Yu remained more composed, bowing deeply and speaking in a completely sincere voice. "I will care for Naoto for the rest of my days, and even afterward I'll watch over her and our future children until the end of time. Yu and Naoto Shirogane… It's like a dream come true."


End file.
